29 Jul 2026

Zimbabwe's ambition to transform
into an industrialized economy hinges on its ability to build reliable
and resilient infrastructure, with the World Bank urging the country to
prioritize investments in energy, transport and digital systems to
unlock sustainable growth and attract investors.

Speaking at the inaugural Zimbabwe Industrialization Conference and Expo
2026 in Harare on Friday, World Bank Country Director Eneida Fernandes
said resilient infrastructure was no longer merely a technical issue but
a fundamental pillar of economic transformation and job creation.

"It is about the factory worker whose wages stop when the power goes
out. It is about the small firm owner who cannot afford a private
generator and loses her entire week's production to a single grid
failure," Fernandes said.

She stressed that resilient infrastructure determines whether businesses
and communities can continue operating when faced with climate shocks,
power outages or transport disruptions.

Fernandes noted that infrastructure failures remain a daily reality
across many developing countries, costing billions of dollars annually
through damaged roads, unreliable electricity, disrupted supply chains
and internet outages.

"No serious investor - domestic or foreign - will anchor a long-term
industrial operation to infrastructure they cannot depend on," she said,
adding: "Infrastructure resilience is not a precursor to industrial
policy. It is industrial policy."

She said Zimbabwe has significant opportunities to accelerate
industrialization despite broader economic headwinds facing Sub-Saharan
Africa.

According to Fernandes, while Africa's exports remain dominated by raw
commodities, intra-African trade increasingly consists of manufactured
and processed goods, creating an opportunity for Zimbabwe to add value
to its mineral and agricultural resources under the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She identified energy, transport and logistics, and digital
infrastructure as the three critical systems that require urgent
investment.

On energy, Fernandes said Zimbabwe possesses considerable potential in
hydropower and solar energy but must improve the reliability of
electricity supply through climate-resilient generation and stronger
transmission networks.

She highlighted Zimbabwe's participation in the World Bank-supported
M300 Capital Facility, describing it as a financing mechanism capable of
attracting large-scale clean energy investment.

Turning to transport, Fernandes said Zimbabwe's strategic location along
the North-South Corridor gives it a competitive advantage, provided
roads, railways and border infrastructure are modernized and efficiently
managed.

She also called for expanded affordable digital infrastructure to
industrial zones, saying connectivity had become essential for supply
chains, financial services and participation in global value chains.

Fernandes urged Zimbabwe to incorporate climate resilience into
infrastructure design, leverage public-private partnerships to mobilize
investment and concentrate resources on high-potential industrial zones
capable of demonstrating rapid economic returns.

"Zimbabwe is not starting from zero," she said. "It has a skilled
workforce, significant mineral and agricultural endowments, and a
geographic position that makes it a natural regional hub."

She urged stakeholders to treat resilient infrastructure as
indispensable to Zimbabwe's industrial future.

"Zimbabwe's path to industrialization runs through the quality, the
reliability, and the resilience of the systems it chooses to build,"
Fernandes said.

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